Here’s an article on etiquette in Japan, although it’s kind of a mish-mash of topics. Brush up on some of your knowledge before you visit, or read to get some vocabulary if you’re a student of English.
Archive for the ‘Japan’ Category
Etiquette in Japan?
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010Today’s local newspaper
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009…had a forecast of sunny weather and a 10% chance of rain. It’s pouring outside!
To their credit, the forecasters are having to deal with the latest rainy season I can remember.
Like Ramen? Try Fukuoka’s Ichran!
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
If you’re in Fukuoka, you shouldn’t have to go very far to find an Ichiran. You may have to look carefully, though because they’re not very big. Once you find one, walk in and look for the ticket machine, like the one above. As you can see, there aren’t many things to choose from, and there are photos for each of the items they sell. It all revolves around the ramen, so get one of those and anything you want to go with it.
Once you have your tickets, you may need to wait for a place to sit. Look at the panel of lights near the seats and wait for the same number of blue lights as your party, but be forewarned that if it’s too crowded, you may have to sit separately. As you’ll see, not sitting with your friends may not be a big deal. Once you get the blue light, go sit at your number.
Here’s your space for eating. It’s not big, but remember, the focus is on the noodles. As you can see, I’ve got my chopsticks ready. 
If this is your first time, you can run through the checklist sitting in your spot. Chopsticks? Check. Glass of water? Check. Ticket? Check. Order form? Oh, yeah, mmmm, how should I have my ramen prepared today…?
The most important part of the meal is choosing how your noodles come out. This is all done on the form that is waiting for you when you sit down. If you have eaten ramen at many places, you will realize that this form is an incredible addition to a noodle shop! Virtually all ramen shops pride themselves on the food they make, and you mostly get what they prepare.
At Ichiran, you choose, in the following order, the strength of the broth; the fat content of the broth; optional sourness; the amount of garlic; what kind, if any, of green onion or leeks; optional slices of pork; the amount, if any, of their “special” spicy sauce; and how firm you want your noodles. The shop in Canal City has an added option with half a boiled egg.
There was an English version available at the Canal City shop. Your mileage may vary.
One final note is that the Canal City shop serves its ramen in beautiful rectangular bowls (is it a bowl if it isn’t round?) Take off the lid, and…
enjoy! 
I understand there’s a shop in Kumamoto. That one is high on my list of restaurants to visit next…
Japan’s Birthrate Drops in 2007
Friday, February 22nd, 2008The Daily Yomiuri (I can’t find a link for the news there online, hence this entry) reported the birth and death numbers in Japan for the year 2007. It seems that the birthrate here has returned to a decline after increasing in the year 2006:
| Births | Birth Change | Deaths | Death Change |
| 1,120,937 | -1,341 | 1,119,492 | +24,099 |
ACM and the Communications of the ACM (for FREE!)
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008The content of El Viajero has been split into two blogs. El Viajero will focus on topics related to every day life. The academic material is moving to http://scholar.jklmelton.net.
This post has been moved here:
acm-and-the-communications-of-the-acm-for-free/
Riding Trains or the Subway in Tokyo: A Primer
Thursday, January 24th, 2008
When I was up in Tokyo for the JALTCALL 2007 conference in June, 2007, I had my trusty Panasonic Lumix DX-10 at my side. I thought I would take some shots of my travels around the city. I didn’t have much time for that because I was busy going to presentations, and when I wasn’t doing that, I was lugging my bag around (note to self: take the rolling bag next time).
I did manage to take a few shots. I mostly got shots of the Tokyo Metro System, but I did get one of the the JR system in Tokyo.
I grew up in Southern California, so I was new to subway trains in 1985 when I went to both Mexico City and Japan for the first time. If you’re a subway train veteran, thanks for reading this far. You’re free to go. Since I walk to work now, I still have to acclimate myself whenever I head into the big city (we do have a street car here in Kumamoto! )
Basically, you want to find your stop on the map above all the ticket machines, look at the price to get there, put your money in, and get your change and ticket.
Follow the crowds to the wicket, go through the section with a green arrow, and remember to take your ticket out as you walk through (you’ll need it again to get out of your station).
Look around and up, and find your train line. Make sure you check the direction and stay on that side (I still have a tendency to move to the side dodging people and forget which side to be on), so you don’t head off the other way or on another line. I almost got on another line on the way home the last day. Hey, it was Shinjuku station, and there are at least 20 tracks!
Head out of the train at your stop, and look for the signs that show you what is near each exit.
It is important to go out the right exit, or you could have a really long walk to get around to the other side of the station. As you leave the station, have your ticket ready. You need it to get back out; it will not come back to you when you exit.
If you get stuck, there are lots of maps in different scales to help you get your bearings.
You can also ask any of the workers on the platform or the windows. Remember, everyone wants to help you get where you want to go. Just smile, and say the name of where you want to go.
One huge difference I noticed this trip (it’s been at least four years since I spent any time in Tokyo) was the change in the signs on the trains. They are all electronic now, so the signs change as the trains move down the line, with the present and next stop in big ol’ letters. That made it harder for me to miss a stop.
Another tip is to not ride during peak times. This worked out for me every ride except Saturday night getting on the Yamanote loop line. I just kept walking until I saw a little space on one of the cars. I exhaled to get as small as I could, and I pushed my way on. Two more people got on after me, so maybe you get the idea of how crowded it can get. I understand some of the train lines use the conductors to push people on during the heaviest times of the day. Fun, fun, fun! 
[Editor's Note: This entry was originally written June 14, 2007. It has be redone (now with photos! )]
The Center Exam: 2008
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008Well, the exam season is under way for this year. Although there are some exams that come much earlier, the season officially starts with Japan’s Center Exam. Most prospective college students take this exam as a kind of benchmark (if you are aware of the U.S. system, think SAT or ACT on steroids) of their achievement from their high school studies (or in the case of those who don’t get in the first time, high school studies plus a year or two). The Exam is actually a series of ten exams held over two days. On the first day, Saturday, there is a series of five tests aimed at social studies and the humanities. The day is capped with an English listening exam where everyone listens to a customized player with an IC card prerecorded with 30 minutes of conversations. The second day of exams is all about math and science.
For all the students who come and all the tests that are administered, everything runs quite smoothly. For those of us administering and proctoring, we have at least two meetings beforehand (one just for the listening exam) where the procedures are explained and people can ask questions. On test days, we are required to show up 45 minutes before anything happens, given a pep talk, and our watches synchronized (my new Casio MR-G performed beautifully as it is synced to a radio signal here in Japan). Each room has a team of an administrator and two or more proctors, plus a person to distribute, count and check the finished scan sheets after each exam. It is two full days, from 8:00 in the morning until after 7:00 or 6:00 in the evening.
The students then take exams for each of the colleges (more accurately the departments) they are considering. Those scores are combined with the relevant Center Exam scores, and those with the highest scores are offered a spot starting in April. Some who are offered a slot at more than one school can then take their pick. Any slots which are passed on are open for a second round of testing at those colleges. If any part of this sounds confusing, just think test, test, test, test, and test. Rinse, repeat. As the number of 18-year olds falls each year, it is becoming easier to get into college. The economic fundamental of supply and demand is taking an interesting twist here. Perhaps more on that later.
Nazca Exhibition in Kumamoto
Thursday, January 10th, 2008Last month we got a chance to go to the Nazca display at the Kumamoto Prefecture Museum of Art (one of my students reminded me about it; thanks Yoko!) I have to say that it was very interesting. The first section moved through a bit of the history and geography of the area, and there’s an illustrative timeline to give some perspective. This site has a good rundown on the details.
The artifacts on display were simply amazing. I guess because of the climate (the area looks awfully dry), many of the items were well preserved. Several items were more than 2,000 years old and were in excellent condition. There is a well-kept mummy that you have to see to believe.
The end of the display is dedicated to the huge line drawings in the desert floor. This area of Peru is a World Heritage site, so it’s on my list of places to visit. Unfortunately, people are doing great harm to the area with cars and motorcyles. I hope that kind of activity is stopped ASAP.
The Nazca display continues until January 27th. Get your tickets and go now!
Fukuoka Subway Guardrails
Monday, January 7th, 2008
I went to Fukuoka last month to do a little business. I really like taking the train from Kumamoto to Hakata station, but that method is not nearly as convenient as taking the bus (and it’s cheaper, too!)
Anyway, I’ll have to write about all that another time. I hadn’t been to Fukuoka on foot in a while, so I hadn’t been on the subways for at least a couple of years. To my surprise, the two stations I used had guardrails set up the entire length of the platform. I cannot recall if Fukuoka has had any troubles with people falling or being pushed into oncoming trains, but it has happened in other parts of the country. This seems to be a great pro-active move on the part of the transit folks. Nice job!
Just to show the contrast between lines with and without the guardrails, the above shot is from one of the stations on the Tokyo Metro line.
Sushi Ota
Friday, December 7th, 2007
World, meet Mr. Ota. His San Diego restaurant, Sushi Ota, is just about the best sushi shop I’ve been to (I’ll save my other favorite, Daiki, in Ise, for another post). Besides being a great guy, Mr. Ota runs a smooth-running ship with fantastic food. We were trying to figure out when we first started going; it must have been not too long after he opened in the late 1980’s. That was back when there were exactly two people behind the counter: Mr. Ota and a nice guy nicknamed Joe. Now there are seven or eight people perfectly choreographed. It’s a big coincidence that Mr. Ota’s hometown is a couple of hours south of Kumamoto (in Hondo). He’s in my hometown, and I’m near his. Mr. Ota knows what my family likes, and he takes great pride watching our expressions after putting his original California- and Kyushu-fused creations in front of us. He has never missed with us. This meal took place about four months ago, so I’m working from the photos and my feeble memory. If the details are lacking, just enjoy the photos, and use your imagination…
Our meal started off with the above creation, although I broke it up before I remembered to take a picture of it. It was crab meat and tomato in a savory gelatin, and it just melted in my mouth.
I need to take some notes when I go back next time because I cannot remember what was in this original masterpiece. I do remember that the avocado matched perfectly with the grated daikon, tare (sauce?), and the fish inside.
This was one of those one-bite experiences that last only as long as you can chew it. There was crab involved and squid and a white fish, and that sauce!
Yes, your honor, guilty as charged. I forgot what kind of fish this was, but it was grilled to perfection and it was tender and extremely tasty.
I understand the giant bluefin tuna is dwindling rapidly. A few orders of various parts of maguro is usual for me. This time we had one order of toro and left it at that. I hope the tuna population returns to normal soon. We should all think carefully before catching/ordering/eating any more giant bluefin tuna.
Uni (sea urchin) is a delicacy in Japan. It just so happens that the waters of the east side of the North Pacific Ocean are filled with sea urchins. Sushi Ota serves them up from both California and Japan.
My wife likes the awabi (abalone); I can do without it. It’s a bit too chewy for me. She said it was wonderful!
Memory lapse again. As you already know, the one on the right is sake (salmon), but the one on the left eludes me right now. Perhaps another trip is in store, so I can ask…
Our final order was tamago. I think it was the first time to order it at Sushi Ota. Check out the cool brand.
Thanks for (another) excellent meal, Mr. Ota. I can’t wait to go back! 
